Part 4 (2/2)
Placing his ear to his heart a moment, the Doctor arose to his feet with a satisfied expression and speaking low, said:
”He is now thoroughly frightened, but the shock will not kill him.
When he wakes he will be mine indeed! I will play the little trick, and I can be safe without fear from this.” He kicked the prostrate form lightly with his foot, and then lifted Barnes up and sat him upon the stone as he slowly revived, supporting him until he had sufficiently recovered not to need a.s.sistance. Then he placed himself in front of Barnes, and as soon as the young man seemed to have regained his senses he folded his arms and said sternly:
”Look at me!” Barnes obeyed for a moment and then turned away and would have risen, but the doctor called out authoritatively:
”You cannot get up! You have no legs!” Barnes reached down with his hands towards his legs, only to be stopped by the words:
”You cannot feel! You have no hands! Now look at me! Look! I command you!” Barnes gazed helplessly into the Doctor's eyes, and the latter continued, in a voice of peremptory sternness:
”Now answer me when I speak to you. Do you understand?”
”Yes, I understand. I will answer!” The voice did not seem to be the normal tones of the young man, and a smile pa.s.sed over the Doctor's face as he went on.
”Do you know who you are? If so, tell me!”
”I am Jack Barnes!”
”And who am I?”
”Doctor Medjora!”
”Do you know where you are?”
”Yes! In the chamber of aesculapius!”
”If I let you go from here, what will you do?”
”I would tell the police what I know!”
”Good! Now listen to me!”
”I am listening!”
”You wish to escape?”
”Yes!”
”I am your master?”
”You are my master!”
”You must obey my commands! You understand that?”
”I must obey your commands. I understand that!”
”You are asleep now?”
”Yes, I am asleep!”
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